Yarn winding apparatus



Oct. 6, 1970 w. c. SPARLING YARN WINDING APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 31, 1968 INVENTOR WAYNE CLIFFORD SPARLING.

BY W W2 ATTORNEY Oct. 6, 1970 w. c. SPARLING 3,532,278

YARN WINDING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 31, 1968 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 co 8 c i l I a 3 L :5 g

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VIII/II INVENTOR WAYNE CLIFFORD SPARLING BY W ATTORNEY Oct. 6, 1970 w. c. SPARLING 3,532,278

YARN WINDING APPARATUS Filed 001;. 31, 1968 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR WAYNE CLIFFORD SPARLI N G ATTORNEY Oct. 6, 1970 w. c. SPARLING YARN WINDING APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 4.

Filed 001;. 31, 1968 INVENTOR WAYNE CLIFFORD SPARLING BY M (Q 94/ ATTORNEY Oct. 6, 1970 w. c. SPARLING YARN WINDING APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Oct. 31, 1968 INVENTOR WAYNE CLIFFORD SPARLING ATTORNEY United States Patent Oifice rm. (:1. B65l1 54/02 U.S. Cl. 242-18 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION The application is a continnation-in-part of my copending application Ser. No. 616,909, filed Feb. 17, 1967 and now abandoned.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a winding apparatus and more particularly to an automatic dofling apparatus for a yarn windup.

Windups which include a print or drive roll to which yarn advances from a reciprocating traverse guide and from which yarn is deposited on a surface driven package are in wide use. To avoid waste during a dofiing cycle such windups have been modified by the provision of two or more rotatable package supports alternately movable into surface driven engagement with the drive roll and of auxiliary equipment for accomplishing the transfer of yarn from a full package to an empty driven support. Each package support is carried by a chuck or mandrel mounted near one end of a swing arm with the swing arms being pivotally mounted on a common rotatable disc or frame in such a manner that the package supports may be advanced in succession through donning, winding and dolfing positions while maintaining continuity of operation. Dofiing and donning of the package supports on this type of windup are usually accomplished manually by the axial movement of the support beyond the end of the chuck or supporting mandrel. This requires considerable space between adjacent winding positions in order that the package being withdrawn will clear obstructions presented by adjacent winding positions. This additional space represents a considerable investment at plant locations where a large number of windups are used. In addition the manual dofiing operation is time consuming and expensive.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention has as'its principal objective the provision of a doffing apparatus which in combination with a windup of the type described will automatically brake and doif a package support without manual assistance. A further objective of this invention is the provision of an automatic dofling apparatus which in combination with a windup of the type described will function in a space coextensive with the width of the windup.

These and other objectives are accomplished in a winding apparatus wherein a plurality of package supports are advanced in succession through a donning position into surface driven engagement with a drive roll then to a doffing position. The windup includes a plurality of pairs of arms rotatably mounted to a frame for moving the 3,532,278 Patented Oct. 6, 1970 suppOrts through the various positions and an automatic dofling apparatus. The dofling apparatus comprises: a pair of opposed chucks mounted to the ends of each pair of arms, the chucks being biased laterally inwardly from the arms and adapted for grasping the ends of a support when in the biased position; and means fastened to the frame at the dofling position for engaging the chucks and overcoming the inward bias on the chucks as a support is moved through the doffing position, thereby braking rotational movement of the package support and releasing the support from the chucks.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a schematic side View of the windup.

FIG. 2 is a partial top view of the windup showing a package support at the dofiing position.

FIG. 3 is a partially cross-sectioned view of the chuck release mechanism.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a chuck assembly.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the windup showing a full package in the winding position and showing a doffing mechanism standing in readiness to receive the package and wherein the breaking and release functions have been separated.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the windup of FIG. 5 with the package and appurtenances engaged by the doffing mechanism.

DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS Referring to FIG. 1 it will be seen that the windup chosen for purposes of illustration includes generally, as components thereof, a frame 10, a swing arm assembly 12, a yarn transfer mechanism 14, a combination brake and package doffing mechanism 16, and a support donning system 18. Yarn is advanced through a guide 22 to a reciprocating traverse guide 24, from which yarn 20 advances under drive roll 26 to a package 28 carried by swing arm assembly 12. An arcuate guide attached to frame 10 curves toward drive roll 26 and serves to guide chucks 46 close to drive roll 26 in preparation for the initiation of a new package as described in more detail hereinafter.

The swing arm assembly shown in partial cross-section in FIG. 2, comprises two spiders 30 disposed on opposite sides of the windup inside the windup frame 10. The spiders 30 are each three-legged and are joined to a shaft 32 which is rotatably supported in bearings 34 which are secured to the frame 10. A sprocket 36 on the shaft 32 is engaged by a chain 38 which is driven by a motor 40 (FIG. 1). Pivotally supported near the end of each leg of the spiders 30, by means of connecting shaft 42, is a pair of swing arms 44. The swing arms 44 are fixed on shaft 42 and extend generally outward from the respective spiders; a given arm on one spider 30 being aligned with a like arm (of opposite hand) on the other spider. As the swing arm assembly is indexed, it is necessary to control the position of swing arms 44 as they approach the doffing station. This is accomplished in a manner described hereinafter, by means of cam 31 attached to one side of frame 10 and lugs 54, on the ends of the swing arms. The swing arms 44 each carry a chuck 46. The chucks on any aligned pair of swing arms face toward each other so as to grasp a package support 48 at both of its ends.

As shown in FIG. 4, the chuck 46 carried by the outer end of a swing arm 44 includes a holder 50 which has an integral projecting shaft 52 supporting the remainder of the chuck mechanism. Slidably engaged on the shaft 52 is a sleeve 53 which is urged toward the end of the shaft 52. by a helical spring 56 but is prevented from escaping by a plate 58 which is secured to the end of the shaft 52 by a machine screw. Near the outer end of the sleeve 53 is a ball bearing 60 rotatably mounted on which is a cup 62 having a shoulder 64 and a shallow bore which is adapted to receive the plate 58 as well as the end of a package support 48 (shown in FIG. 2). The sub-assembly comprising the cup 62, the bearing 60 and the sleeve 53 may be moved axially toward the swing arm 44 by overcoming the bias of spring 56. The end of the cup 62 is provided with a bell opening 61 which leads into a conical bore 63, the small end of which has a diameter only slightly larger than that of the plate 58. A plurality of longitudinal grooves or scallops 66 in the conical bore aid in gripping a support by presenting sharp edges for engaging the support. A support 48 is grasped between opposed chucks 46 by sliding the cups 62 toward their respective swing arms 44 against the urging of the springs 56, placing a support between the chucks and then releasing the cups whereupon the spring 56 urges the cup 62 toward the extreme ends of the support thus gripping it firmly while drawing it into concentricity with the cup 62 and the bearing 60. The length of the support 48 is slightly less than the distance between the faces of an opposed pair of plates 58, thus the end of the bobbin will be clear of each of the plates 58. The size of the conical bore in the cups 62, as compared to the outside diameter of the support 48, is such that each cup engages the end of the bobbin by a distance equal to about onehalf of the depth of conical bore 63. In the edge of the cup 62, as viewed in FIG. 2, is a slot 68 Which serves to snag and sever the yarn during the transfer of yarn from a full to an empty support.

As shown in FIG. 2, two dofi mechanisms 16 of opposite hand are required. Referring now to FIG. 3, each comprises a U-shaped yoke 70 on a shaft 72 which is rotatably and slidably supported by means of a ball bushing 74 in a bracket 76 secured to frame A radial pin 82 is secured to shaft 72. A generally helical cam slot 84 is formed in a curved wall of the upper portion of the bracket 76 and engages the outer end of pin 82. A tension spring 80 is located inside bracket 76. One end of spring 80 is fixed to pin 82 and the other end is secured to the wall of bracket 76 by means of a hook 78. Spring 80 is so located that it urges pin 82 against the upper end of cam slot 84 to provide a rest position for yoke 70 as shown in FIG. 1. The hand of each of the cam slots 84 is such that counterclockwise rotation of the yokes (as viewed in FIG. 1) results in axial movement of each yoke 70 toward its respective bracket 76; i.e., away from each other. The yoke is eccentric with respect to the shaft 72 and is adapted to receive a chuck 46 between the spaced arms of the yoke in such a way that the shoulder 64 of the cup 62 is engaged by the arms of yoke 70.

The support donning system 18 (FIG. 1) includes a storage hopper 98, for supports 48, a belt feeder 100, an escapement mechanism 102 and a pair of rails 110, 112 for spreading the chucks as they pass through the donning station. Belt feeder 100 is driven by motor 40 through chain 38 sprocket 114 and shaft 116 attached to the sprocket. A pair of arcuate rails 104, leading from hopper 98 serve as the lower guides for the belt feeder. Rails 110 and 112 are adapted to engage a chuck 46 at shoulder 64, guide it and an associated arm 44 through the donning station, and open the chuck against the bias of chuck spring 56 to a support receiving position. Escapement mechanism 102 includes a pair of L shaped arms 120 and a pair of arms 121 pivotally mounted at pin 122 and a latch 108 coupled to arm 120 and pivotally mounted at a point intermediate its ends. Arms 120 are biased in the clockwise direction and are in alignment with rails 110, 112 as well as contiguous to rail 112 when in the biased position as shown.

The particular windup shown utilizes three pairs of swing arms 44 which are spaced at 120 degrees apart on the spider 30. In operation a 3-step cycle is used in which the spider and all sets of arms are indexed clockwise in 120 degree increments by the motor 40 which is energized by a conventional clock timing system (not shown). The positions occupied by the axes of the swing arm shafts 42, during the period in which the spider 12 is stationary, are designated in FIG. 1 as stop A, stop B and stop C. At stop A, winding takes place; between stop A and stop B, doffing takes place; between stop B and C, donning takes place.

At the timed completion of package 28, spider 30 is indexed clockwise through 120 degrees. As a pair of swing arms 44 and their associated chucks 46 carrying package 28 are moved from the winding position (A toward B) another pair of arms 44 and their associated chucks move an empty package support 48 into engagement with drive roll 26 (C toward A) and yarn transfer mechanism 14 as disclosed in US. Pat. No. 3,385,532 is operated to sweep yarn 20 into engagement with snaring and severing slot 68 on the driven chuck. In this manner the yarn advancing to package 28 is severed and a new package is initiated on the driven support. Continued rotation of the spider brings lug 54 into engagement with cam 31 which results in swing arms 44 of the full package being rotated clockwise with respect to spider 30 until they pass a vertical position after which they fall to the right and yokes receive chucks 46. Swing arms 44 will descend causing the yokes to rotate counterclockwise. By virtue of the relationship of cam slot 84 and pin 82, this rotational movement of yoke 70 will also result in its lateral movement into engagement with shoulder 64 on chuck 46 which reception of chucks 46 in yokes 70 serves first to brake the package to a stop and then spread the chuck cups 62 thereby releasing the support from the chucks. The fully released support and associated package drops into engagement with sloping rails 126 and rolls to a position where it may be readily removed either manually or by a conveyor. Springs now bias yokes 70 upward and back to their rest positions ready for the next doffing cycle. The indexing of spider 30 also causes a third pair of swing arms 44 to drive a pair of chucks 46 into engagement with rails 110, 112 (B to C). The shoulders 64 of chucks 46 are engaged by diverging surfaces on rails and 112, and in this manner the chucks are opened to receive a support. At the same time belt drive 100 propels supports 48 along guide 104 until the uppermost support is cradled in arms 121 where it stops. As swing arms 44 move they carry chucks 46 into engagement with L-shaped arms and into receiving alignment with a support 48. Continued rotation of spider 30 causes arms 120, 121 to be rotated counterclockwise about pivot pin 122, releasing the chucks which grasp support 48 and then engage arcuate guide 25 leading to drive roll 26. The counterclockwise rotation of arms 120 causes latch 108 to engage the next succeeding support temporarily preventing it from further advance. Rotation of spider 30 continues until the chucks and the support clear arms 120, 121 and reach a position (stop C) just under drive roll 26. Arms 120, 121 are then biased clockwise to a normal position releasing latch 108. At this point spider indexing stops until the next cycle.

An alternate embodiment provision is made for separating the braking and package release functions. Referring to FIG. 5, each swing arm 44 has a lever comprising a pair of parallel arms 151 each of which extends across the respective edges of the swing arm, being pivotally mounted thereto by means of a pin 152. At the end of each of the arms 151 nearest to the chucks 46 is a lug 154 which engages the inner face of the chuck shoulder 64 while at the opposite end is a striker plate 153 which is joined to pairs of arms 151 to form the unitary assembly of lever 150. From the foregoing, it will be realized that if mechanical pressure is exerted on the striker plate 153 the arms 151 will pivot about the pins 152 thus the lugs 154 will pull upon the shoulders 64 and the chucks 46, having the effect of forcibly removing the chuck cup 62 (FIG. 4) from engagement with the support 48.

In FIG. 5, a pair of release bars 156 are pivotally secured to the windup frame 10 by means of pins 157 and lugs 155. The release bars are joined at their lower ends by toggle links 158, 159 which are joined to each other by a pin 160 which also serves to join the links to the piston rod 161' of an air cylinder 161. The cylinder 161 is anchored to the frame 10 by means of a post 162. Inside the cylinder but not shown is a helical spring which holds the piston and rod 161 in the retracted position (as shown in FIG. while a port 164 serves to admit pressurized air to the cylinder to drive the piston and rod 161'. Lacking pressurized air, the piston remains in the position shown, and the links 158, 159 of the toggle mechanism have an included angle, in respect to each other, of appreciably less than 180, thus the lower ends of the release bars 156 are drawn together and situated close to the walls of the frame while the upper ends of the bars 156 are spread apart to an open position. At their upper ends each of the bars 156 is provided with a lug 163 which faces inwardly, being adapted to perform a clamping function to be described.

On one side of the windup is a brake 165 which is pivotally mounted on the frame 10 by means of a hinge pin 166 being held in the position shown by means of an air cylinder 167, the body of which is joined to the frame 10 by means of a pin 168. Pressurized air applied to the port 169 of cylinder 167 holds the piston and rod and hence the brake 165 in the extended or ready position (shown) while a spring (not shown) inside the cylinder will cause the brake 165 to be retracted counterclockwise to a position in which the braking surface 165' will be essentially vertical when the air pressure is relieved. When in the position shown, the brake stands in readiness to receive a chuck 46 and the outer peripheral surface of the chuck shoulder 64 is aligned with and will engage the braking surface 165.

At the completion of winding of a yarn package 28, the spider 30 and its appurtenances are rotated 120 by means of a sprocket 36, a chain 38 and a motor 40 (which is energized by a timer, not shown). Substantially at the completion of each 120 index of the spider 30, the cylinders 161, 167 are operated in timed sequence by means of the three-lobed cam 177, switch 178 and control 180. The cam 177 is carried by shaft 32 and rotates therewith while the switch 178 is stationary being located angularly relative to the cam 177 so as to be closed momentarily in the last few degrees of motion of the spider 30 and then to open again just before the end of each 120 index cycle. The control 180 comprises a motor 179 having an extended shaft 182 which carries three cams, a running cam 183 and two valve actuating cams 171, 172. The running cam 183 has a single narrow lobe which holds switch 184 open when motor 179 is not running but will allow it to close substantially at the instant that motor 179 starts to rotate after being energized momentarily by power source 181 via switch 178. Since switch 184 is connected in parallel with switch 178, motor 179 will remain energized after start-up for a full 360 of rotation, i.e., rotation continues until the lobe of cam 183 again opens the switch 184. The cams 171, 172 when rotated, are adapted to actuate three-way valves 173, 174, respectively. The valve 173 is normally on, that is, it admits pressurized air (source not shown) to the conduit 175 and thence to the port 169 on cylinder 167, holding the brake 165 in the extended position as described above.

The three-way valve 174 is normally off that is, the valve passage is aligned with the valve exhaust port, opening cylinder 161 to the atmosphere, via port 164 and conduit 176. Thus the toggle links 158, 159 keep the upper ends of the release bars 156 apart or open as described above.

Upon the timed completion of a package 28, the motor 40 in energized rotating the spider 30 and lifting the package 28 clear of the drive roll 26 in the manner previously described. Near the end of the rotation of the spider, the arms 44 bearing the full package 28 reach the position shown in FIG. 6 in which the periphery of the chuck shoulder 64 engages the braking surface 165 with immediate braking effort taking place, in effect, stopping the rotation of the chunks 46, the support 48 and the package 28. In the last few degrees of rotation of the spider 30 the cam 177 closes switch 178 momentarily thereby setting control 180 in motion as described above. As the package slows to a stop, the cam 172 actuates the valve 174 to the position shown in FIG. 6, admitting pressurized air to conduit 176 and thence to cylinder 161. This drives the toggle links 158, 159 essentially to a straight line or 180 position, causing a clamping effect between lugs 163 and the striker plate 153 which are now mutually aligned. Levers are pivoted and the chuck cups 62 are withdrawn from the support 48 allowing it and the package 28 to drop a short distance until the support 48 rests upon the rails 126 where it may roll clear of the windup.

After an additional small increment of rotation of the shaft 182, cam 171 actuates valve 173 to the broken line position, in effect allowing air to exhaust from the cylinder 167 and swinging the brake clear of the chuck 46, allowing the arms 44 to drop to a support donning position. After an additional small increment of rotation of shaft 182, the cams 171, 172 again actuate their respective valves 173, 174. Valve 173 re-admits air to cylinder 167, swinging the brake 165 to the ready position while valve 174 exhausts air causing the release bars 156 and clamping lugs 163 to resume their open position, all parts now being in a state of readiness to receive the next package to be doifed. Finally, the cam 183 of control completes 360 of rotation and actuates switch 184, thereby stopping the motor 179, in effect, making the control 180 ready for the next cycle of events.

It is apparent that many changes and modifications may be made Without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a winding apparatus wherein a plurality of package supports are advanced in succession through a donning position into surface driven engagement with a drive roll then to a doffing position and including a plurality of pairs of spaced arms rotatably mounted in a frame for moving the supports through said positions, an apparatus for automatically doffing and braking the rotational movement of the supports, said apparatus comprising:

(a) a pair of opposed chucks having braking surface .me'ans rotatably mounted to at least one of the ends of each pair of arms, said chucks being biased laterally inwardly from said arms and being adapted for grasping the ends of a support when in said biased position; and

(b) means fastened on the frame at said doffing position for engaging said braking surface means and said chucks and overcoming said inward bias as a support is moved through said dofflng position thereby braking rotational movement of and releasing the support from the chucks.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said chucks include a cuplike housing having a tapered inner wall, said inner wall being adapted to engage the outer periphery of said supports.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said tapered inner wall is provided with a plurality of longitudinal grooves.

4. In a winding apparatus wherein a plurality of package supports are advanced in succession through a donning position into surface driven engagement with a drive roll then to a dofiing position and including a plurality of pairs of spaced arms rotatably mounted at one end in a frame for moving the supports through said positions, an apparatus for automatically dofiing the supports, said apparatus comprising:

(a) a pair of opposed chucks having inwardly facing shoulders rotatably mounted to the other ends of each pair of arms, said chucks being biased laterally inwardly from said arms and being adapted for grasping the ends of said supports;

(b) a pair of U-shaped yokes rotatably mounted to said frame at said dofling position, the open ends of said yokes being biased upwardly to a position of alignment with the path of said chucks through said dofling position, said chucks engaging said yokes at said dofiing position, and imparting downward rotational movement to said yokes; and

(0) means connected to said yokes for imparting lateral outward movement to said yokes, said means being responsive to said downward rotational move- References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,789,774 4/ 1957 Petersen et al. 3,149,795 9/1964 Rhein. 3,279,709 10/1966 Carlson et a1. 3,355,117 11/1967 Gerhardt et a1. 3,378,211 4/1968 Nuissl. 3,429,514 2/1969 Pospisil et a1.

STANLEY N. GILREATH, Primary Examiner 

